KU Jayhawks football vs. Houston Cougars: Prediction, betting line, TV

THE DETAILS

Kickoff: 3 p.m., Saturday

Where: TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV: ESPNU

Radio: WHB (810 AM) in Kansas City, KFH (1240 AM, 97.5 FM) in Wichita

The line: Houston by 8.5 points

PREDICTION

If Kansas’ football team defeats Houston on Saturday, the Jayhawks just might wind up in the AP Top 25 for the first time since Week Eight of the 2009 season.

A victory over the Cougars would mean back-to-back road victories for KU for the first time since 2007 and the school’s first 3-0 start in football since 2009, when KU won its first five games, then dropped its last seven.

Would all that be worthy of a spot in the rankings? Maybe.

Fresh off a home rout of Tennessee Tech and overtime win at West Virginia, the Jayhawks are ranked among the top teams in the country in several statistical categories.

KU enters Saturday’s game against the American Athletic Conference favorites the No. 1 scoring team in the country at 55.5 points per game. The Jayhawks have scored 100 or more points through two games for the third time in school history. KU scored 111 points through two games in 1992 and 114 points in 2007.

KU ranks No. 4 in the country in scoring offense at 52.5 points per game (points put up on offense only). Cornerback Cobee Bryant has scored 12 points courtesy of an interception return in KU’s 55-42 overtime win at West Virginia and return of a blocked field goal in a 56-10 home win over. Tennessee Tech.

The Jayhawks rank No. 1 in the country in third down conversion rate at 73.9%. KU has converted on 17 of 23 third down calls.

KU is No. 12 in rushing offense at 248.5 yards per game. Kansas’ offense has 10 rushing touchdowns, good for a tie for No. 3 nationally with Air Force, trailing Minnesota (12) and Nebraska (11).

The Jayhawks are tied for No. 1 overall in sacks allowed (zero). Kansas is No .7 nationally in fewest tackles-for-loss allowed (2.5).

Sophomore running back Devin Neal is tied for No. 1 in total touchdowns (five). He’s the first Jayhawk since Jake Sharp (2009) to total five TDs in the season’s first two games. He’s first Jayhawk since Jon Cornish (2005) to score four rushing touchdowns in the first two games of the year.

Coach Lance Leipold was asked if he looks at statistical superlatives at this early stage of the season.

“Somebody said it to me yesterday, so I’d be lying if I said (no),” Leipold said. “Now do I look for it? No. They (media relations staff) give me a whole set of stats. Andy (Kotelnicki, offensive coordinator) says it all the time that statistics lie and liars use statistics.

“You can skew these things to look a lot of ways you want,” Leipold added, “but for us to have that type of production in scoring? Yes I’m excited about that right now because those (point totals) are tough to come by. Some of those numbers … yes they are exciting. But if we are talking like that in weeks 10, 11, 12 then I might have better answers and things that are more concrete.”

Kansas 37, Houston 30

Last game prediction: West Virginia 42, Kansas 30 (actual Kansas 55, West Virginia 42, OT)

2022 record on picks: 1-1

2021 record vs. spread: 0-2